Oniitenshi
by Anthony Stark
Summary: Ed and Al get separated and sent to separate schools. Not allowed to see each other, Al stays calm, while Ed freaks out, as usual.
1. Chapter 1: Separation and Anxiety

Chapter 1: Separation and Anxiety

Edward Elric sat on the small, uncomfortable bed in his new room, the walls were bare, the room almost empty, but for the bed, and the desk he'd bought. On this desk sat his prize possession, a sleek black laptop, the Icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen indicated that he was connected to the school's wireless internet. Also, a small, black stereo thumped out one of his favorite songs, "twisted transistor" by Korn. He got whatever he asked for, because he was a new student, and, according to his third period teacher, his superior officer had said he, being an alchemist, would be a wonderful student, and well worth their time.  
So why, you may ask, was Edward staring moodily at the thick red carpet fighting back the urge to kill said superior officer? they had taken away the one thing he really wanted, the thing he hadn't parted with since about the sixth grade, when they'd dropped out of school to try and get their human bodies back, his brother, Alphonse Elric, had been sent to another school, because Al was in the eighth grade, and Ed was in his freshmen year of high school. The only time Edward would be allowed to see his younger brother, Al, would be in the joint P.E. classes their schools shared, because Al's school didn't have a gym. Ed sighed, running his hands through his long blonde hair, which reached just past his shoulder blades, thinking back to the terrified look on Alphonse's face when Mustang had reluctantly told them he'd be splitting them up and sending them to separate boarding schools, Al's eyes had filled with tears as Edward was pushed into a car, prevented from even really saying good-bye, not that he would've, because both they, and Mustang's men, knew that Ed would have transmuted something and run off with Al. Edward was stubbornly against the separate schools, and he had let Colonel Mustang know that he wouldn't go through with it, but Mustang had said it was the law, and his superior, the Fuhrer, had ordered Ed to comply with the law. Though the Colonel did seem very sad to go through with his reluctant mission to get Ed and Al in school.

(Ed's point of view)

"Damn it Mustang! You traitor! How could you do that to us?!" I slammed my fist against the wall, earning first the clang of metal on wood, then angry shouts from my neighboring classmate. I lifted my automail right arm, which extended up past my shoulder, and I sighed again, I'd gotten Al's real body back from the Gate, but that transmutation had taken up all of the stone's power, and I'd been left with the automail right arm and left leg I'd earned when the human transmutation to bring our mother back from the dead took my left leg, and Al's whole body, but I had given up my arm to attach Al's soul to a suite of armor, and then, back to his original body, the one Al inhabited now. Our childhood friend, Winry Rockbell, had helped design the perfectly sculpted, steel automail I wore now, which weighed the same as a regular human arm and leg would without being weakened. This school was supposed to be the best Alchemy related school in all of Amestris, but as I glared at the black uniform, decorated with white trim, very similar to the clothes I used to wear, I found myself hating this school. I hadn't even gone to a real day of classes yet, me and the rest of the freshmen had been lead around to meet our teachers, and I had fumed at the back of the small crowd that steadily changed around me as people in straight, crisp, white uniforms lead them to all their different classrooms and teachers.  
I glanced sadly at my long, trench coat-like red jacket, it had the sign for sealing Humunculi on the back in black, and I had grown very fond of wearing it, to the point where if I didn't put it on in the morning, I'd fidget all day or until I could rush back to wherever we were staying and put it on. Al had said I was silly, but the other alchemists would stare at me if I wasn't wearing the coat, afraid to ask why. I lay the coat over my black uniform, admiring the familiar look of red on black, I reached for the coat that had come with my uniform, skillfully taking the school emblem off of it with alchemy, and reattaching it to my own jacket. I slipped under the cold, freshly laundered blankets, falling asleep with thoughts of how to find Al the next day without getting caught and sent to my dorm.

I ignored the muttering all around me as I entered the school's dining hall, loading up a tray with what the school called food, but I called shit. I sat at an empty table, averting my eyes from the numerous people who were pointing at my bold red jacket, and, mostly girls, talking about my long blonde braid in whispers. My fierce gold eyes flickered through the hall, wondering if the middle school shared the cafeteria too, but apparently they didn't.  
"U-um, excuse me, b-but, are you Edward Elric? The Fullmetal Alchemist?" I turned my piercing gaze on the other fifteen year old who'd asked, and nodded, a small jerk of my chin, "I knew it! Is it true that you have automail?! Did you get it in the war against Ishbal?! Why are you in our high school? I thought I'd never meet you! What classes do you have? What period is your English class?!" I leaned away from the insistent boy, who's childish blue eyes were wide with excitement, the kid ran his fingers through his short black hair, his skin was so pale I thought I might have been able to see through it in the right light, even so, I struggled to reply to the loud, fast questions.  
"Y-yes, I do have automail, and I got it in Ishbal, and- wait, what was the other question?" I asked, unable to remember my translation of the inhumanly fast speech,  
"what period is your English class?" the boy repeated, I pulled my crinkled schedule out of my jacket pocket,  
"um, sixth, with Mrs. Colens..." I mumbled, the boy grinned,  
"me too!! Wow, you must be good; you've got practically all honors classes! Oh, my name is Victor, by the way, Victor Cahn." He held out a hand, and I reached out and shook it, watching Victor's eyes widen again as the automail fingers revealed themselves from their hiding place in my pocket,  
"wow!" Victor grabbed my wrist, inspecting the automail left and right, bending the fingers, I yanked his hand away, suddenly feeling very homicidal.  
"I have to go..." I began, but Victor wasn't listening, he had grabbed my hand again and was dragging me over to another table of freshmen, who, when they heard my name, all had similar reactions to Victor. Excepting one fourteen year old girl who took one look at my slightly tanned skin, red jacket, gold hair and matching gold eyes and fainted. I pulled away from the growing crowd of teens, taking off towards my first period class just as the bell rang, I slipped into my seat with a sigh of relief, rolling my eyes as the girl who'd fainted walked into the room, and promptly tried to run right back out again. And so passed my first period, and my second, which I also shared with the girl, Trisha, I had attempted to avoid her as soon as I heard my mother's name, but so far, no such luck, she haunted my steps, always about three paces away, but I only found true relief when I escaped into the boys' locker room and began to change for P.E.  
I was eager to get into the gym, I had to search for Al, but I wasn't even sure if me and Al had the same P.E. period, I searched all the unfamiliar teenage faces, and not seeing Al, I began too feel a tendril of doubt snake it's way into my chest, then I looked up, my eyes flicking from the floor to the group of boys chattering about some new anime, and locking on my brother's fair face. "Al..." I mumbled, taking a step toward my younger brother, but at that moment, when I was only about ten steps from Al, a teacher stepped in front of me,  
"where do you think you're going, Elric?" she asked, I peered around her at my brother, who didn't seem to have noticed me, but was sitting on the ground, playing with his shirt collar, looking at the ground, rather than the people in the gym.  
"I-I was just gonna say hi to my brother..." I trailed off as she poked a finger in my chest,  
"get to class, you're not supposed to associate with middle school students, it gives them ideas." She grabbed my shoulder, steering me towards a group of tall, preppy-looking, football jersey wearing jocks, who were, apparently, in the ninth grade. "Hang out with your grade." The teacher said sternly, watching me as I slumped against the wall, sitting on the ground and mimicking my brother's position. She walked away, glancing back at me every so often as though to make sure I didn't approach Al. I stared at the ugly metal beams that supported the gym roof, but suddenly my view was blocked by a wide, jersey covered, jock chest, I raised an eye brow, wondering what they wanted, he opened his mouth, I acted like I was going to listen, but the words that came out of his mouth, which resulted in him getting knocked to the ground beside me, were  
"Ah, you're so short, you must be in middle school, you should get back to your group." I know, it sounded innocent enough to other people, but let's just say I'm kinda sensitive about my height, and you would be too if your younger brother was taller than you by seven inches! My shout reverberated through the entire gym,  
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MOUSY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK?! I AM NOT A BEAN WHO'S SO SMALL YOU CAN'T SEE ME ABOVE THE FRONT EDGE OF YOUR BOOT!!" I think it was about that exact moment that the teacher pulled me off of the now cowering jock, who, I soon found out, was in my P.E. class. But not before I heard Alphonse's voice ring out from the other side of the gym. "Nii-san! don't yell!" but, as happy as I was to hear my brother's familiar scolding, I couldn't help myself, it was as if all the anger I'd been suppressing broke free, I slammed my automail fist into the jock's side, as I straightened up, panting, as my eyes met my teacher's I saw her flinch. As I stepped forward, over the jock, my eyes darting towards the closest exit, I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned, ready to explode at whoever had touched me, when I found myself staring at Alphonse.


	2. Chapter 2: Detention and Recognition

A/N: Wow…no-one likes this story, I got zero "Please continue this" Reviews in the last three days… epic fail, you guys.

Chapter 2: Detention and Recognition

I flinched at the look on Al's face, and bit my lip, "Sorry…Al." I murmured, I'd been about to scream at my little brother, and it embarrassed me to no end.

"Brother…you're supposed to behave, it's only for a year, and we're allowed to share a dorm for holidays, plus Mustang promised we'd be room mates next year." Al was too trusting, his eyes glimmered with hope, and I couldn't understand why he'd believe a jerk like Roy Mustang anyway.

"I…I'm sorry Alphonse, I'll try." It was then that the teacher, in all her brilliant glory, decided to inform me I'd been given detention, and a "red patch" I glared at her, but tried to be calm, chanting _holidays, holidays, holidays, _in my head to keep that way. "Red patch? What's that?" I finally asked, feeling confused, she smirked at me, and it reminded me so of Mustang I wanted to punch her,

"It's an arm band that tells students that you're a bad influence and not to associate with you." She said with a smile, I growled in anger, but then she pulled out the patch, and it was my turn to smirk. It was exactly the same shade as my trench coat, so…no worries anywhere but in the Gym. I slid it up my left arm, watching her smirk grow, and then the whistle blew for us to form up in classes, and I went to stand with the teacher who was calling out names in a deep baritone voice, "Elric, Armstrong," The list went on, and I found myself watching the young girl who had looked up at the sound of "Armstrong." I smiled at her, and she grinned back, I rolled my eyes when I saw the telltale sparkle in her eye, definitely related to Alex.

Once it was ascertained we were all present we were put in alphabetical order, and told to sit on the floor for preliminary stretches. I groaned when I stretched out my automail leg, the port had been sore for awhile, but it felt good to stretch. Somehow it reminded me of my training with Izumi, and that made me feel better, also, I could see Alphonse from my place in line, and he looked happy enough, so I decided once more to _try. _

By the end of P.E. I wasn't feeling quite as optimistic, when I walked out of the changing room Trisha fainted again, and I could only roll my eyes as her friends ogled me and helped her up, I ambled off to my fifth period class, Advanced Alchemy, and doodled my way through it, I knew everything in this class already, and it was the most advanced class they offered. I sighed, and finished the worksheet the teacher, a Mr. Colt, had handed out, getting mean looks from kids when I refused to let them copy my work. When I left for sixth I was careful to make sure Trisha wasn't anywhere around me before hurrying to it, to my dismay one of her friends was sitting in the seat next to my newly assigned place, and Victor was in the seat to my left, I settled in for a long lesson, chewing my lip and trying to take notes, but English…I knew most of his as well, it bothered me that I knew so much.

After sixth period was lunch, the classes weren't too long, and we'd had a break before fourth, so it didn't bother anyone, I sat at a table in the corner, fiddling with my invisible armband, I'd been right, it didn't show against my jacket. As I ate my lunch I watched the people around me, I'd successfully deterred several people who'd eyed the empty seats around me from sitting down, and I was feeling quite proud of myself for it when Victor flopped happily into one of said seats, and began shoveling down his food, asking me random questions between mouthfuls, half of which I never answered.

"So, Edward, I can call you Edward right?" I waved my hand noncommittally, and Victor prattled on, "What room number are you in? Do you have a room mate? Can I come over later? We could do homework." I held up a hand to silence the teen, "I'm in room number 119, I don't have a roommate, but there's a spare bed, for next year when my brother moves in, and you can come over, but I finished all my homework already." I gestured at the books on the table in front of me, freshly rented from the library, "These are for pleasure reading." Victor blinked as he picked up one of the books,

"'Alchemic circles of the eastern provinces'…You're studying Alchemy from Xing?" I was proud of myself for out speaking him this time, and he seemed to have calmed down as soon as I did.

"Yeah…" I muttered, "I need it for something." I'd recently learned that Xing Alchemy was all medical based, and maybe, just maybe I could get my arm and leg back with it. I doubted it, and it wasn't all that important, but Al got hurt often, not expecting physical pain because he'd been armor. In Amestris people started High school at the age of 17, and odd age, I thought, but hey, who am I to judge?

"You finished your homework already?!" I'd been waiting for that response, and I simply nodded minutely, "Wow! When?" I sighed, and leaned back in my chair, I'd happily shocked him into coherency,

"I finished it in each class respectively, except English, I finished that when I sat down." I gestured at a fully hand written essay sitting near my bag, "I'm going to type it out and print it later, so you can do your homework while I do that." I sighed, still trying to be normal, thinking of how Alphonse would be proud of me for being a good student and finishing school in the proper way so that we could find a place to live. Roy had told me I'd be able to continue working for him as a State Alchemist, and I fully intended to, until I found another way to support Al.

After lunch I walked slowly to my room, Victor had run off to find a friend he thought would like to come to the room too, and grab his books, and I decided to go boot up the computer they'd given me. I sat at my desk, leaving the door open for Victor and his friend, and hit the power button, watching the logo flash across the screen, and it whirred to life happily, I hit the on button on the printer, and, setting my hand written three page essay on a stand Mustang had placed in my room, and began to type. It was one thing I was good at in this school, because I'd taken a keyboarding class out of curiosity, I aced it in three days.

By the time Victor and his friend showed up I'd finished the essay, and printed it out, in careful MLA format, exactly as the teacher had asked, halfway through I'd shed my jacket, and my automail was in full view as I created an email account and sent an email to Al's already existent one. He'd made it in the library so we could receive messages from Roy anywhere we went that had net, and I was so appreciative of it right now.

_Alphonse, sorry about freaking out in the Gym, how are you? _I typed, then I hit send, and leaned back to wait, soon enough he sent a reply,

_I'm fine, Brother, glad you're feeling better. Know how to instant message? _I stared at the words, perplexed, "What's instant messaging?" I asked Victor, he hurried to my side and did something complicated, downloading a messenger and installing it,

"There, now you click add contact." I did as he said, and typed in Al's email, almost immediately I received and IM,

_Hi, Brother. _I smiled and quickly replied while Victor and his friend, Carl, another teen Freshman who talked to fast, spread their books out on my floor and got to work, I tried to pay attention to them as Al told me about his day before and after Gym, and I looked at the picture of a dancing kitty he'd decided to use as his user pic, and laughed.

_So…you're ok? _I finally asked,

_Yeah, I'm fine…lonely, but fine. And next year…we'll be together. _I sighed, smiling, then frowned when my computer chimed, _KittyElric has signed off. _I rolled my eyes once again at the absurd name he'd chosen for our email, and closed the chat window, looking at my own screen name, "FullmetalEdward" I suddenly felt stupid for not picking something cute and simple, and I sighed again, while Victor worked diligently on my floor.


End file.
